Jim Bibby threw seven and a third strong innings and the Pirates pounded out 13 hits in a 9-1 thrashing of the Phillies. John Milner drove in four runs and Bill Madlock three. The win gave the Pirates three games of the teams’ four-game series in Philadelphia.
Bibby walked four but allowed only four hits. The only run against him came in the first on a walk, a ground out and a single. The Phillies got only one runner past first in innings two through seven, and that runner was stranded on second.
The Pirates took the lead on the game’s first batter, as Omar Moreno led off against Larry Christenson with his eighth home run of the year. A second run scored in the inning when Dave Parker walked and eventually came home on a sacrifice fly by Milner.
The Pirates extended their lead to 5-1 in the third. Tim Foli singled, Parker walked again and Milner crushed his 15th home run to drive in three.
In the eighth, Bibby extended the lead another run when he doubled home Ed Ott. He finally departed in the bottom of the inning after a leadoff triple by Bake McBride, a shallow fly and a walk. Kent Tekulve came on to get the last two outs without letting anybody score.
The Pirates got their last three runs in the ninth. Two walks sandwiched around a double by Willie Stargell loaded the bases to Madlock. He ripped a three-run triple off Doug Bird to make it 9-1.
Teke had a quick bottom of the ninth. Pops finished with three hits and the Cobra scored three runs without getting a hit, thanks to three walks. The Expos lost to Houston, so the Pirates now lead them by two and a half games.
The Bucs will head home to start a three-game series tomorrow against San Diego. John Candelaria (10-8, 3.79 ERA), Bert Blyleven (9-4, 3.72) and Bruce Kison (7-6, 3.62) will face John D’Acquisto (8-9, 4.46), Randy Jones (9-7, 3.74), and Gaylord Perry (10-9, 3.02).
